Should You Upgrade to Verizon FiOS?

Verizon FiOS has been getting a bunch of play in TV ads and all over the web lately. Most people know Verizon as a provider of cellular and wireless Internet services. The fact that they also provide Home Phone, TV, and Internet service isn’t as well known. Part of why they’re pushing the FiOS product so hard is to inform the public that they are a full-fledged telecommunications company with a wide variety of offerings.

What Verizon FiOS Offers

The FiOS product line from Verizon brings the full array of telecommunications services for home consumers into a single product offering. When switching to Verizon FiOS, you can choose from any or all of: Digital Home Phone, Digital Cable TV service, and High Speed Internet. Bundle them all on a single bill, or just pick one or two, it’s up to you. Unlike almost everyone else, Verizon FiOS customers have services delivered over fiber optic cables instead of copper wires.

A Look at FiOS TV

One of the services you can get through Verizon FiOS is TV programming. Verizon offers more than 165 channels in full HD (720p and/or 1080i) and approximately 600 digital channels. If, like me, you have trouble finding something you consider worth watching, there are also thousands of titles available to watch in their On Demand library (extra fee usually applies). There are also mobile apps allowing you to take your TV viewing with you away from home.

Verizon Digital Voice

Subscribers to Verizon FiOS can also choose Home Phone service. This isn’t a stripped down service that only allows you to keep your number and have a simple phone. This is high quality service with digital voice quality and a wide variety of extras. Some of the features of Digital Voice include:

Caller ID that lets you screen calls

Caller ID blocking lets you block your number when making a call

Number blocking of up to 10 numbers allows you to block calls from certain numbers

You can also block any calls from numbers with blocked IDs

Check your voicemail through an email account

Call forwarding

You can also set up your service with three numbers that all ring through to the same number, but give those calling a distinctive ringtone.

Many other features are also included.

Verison FiOS Brings You Quantum Internet

If your family is like mine, you actually need Verizon’s FiOS Quantum Internet. My son likes to play video games online with his friends. My daughter likes to watch Lady Gaga videos and her anime shows on Netflix. I like to watch sports and older historical documentaries on Hulu and some other sites.

All that requires more bandwidth than most providers are able to supply in order to deliver a streaming experience that is enjoyable. Most other providers max out their bandwidth at 50 Mbps. Currently, FiOS subscribers can get up to 500 Mbps download speeds. That’s fast enough to allow for as many as 10 people to stream movies or play games at the same time. Even better, since the FiOS product is delivered over fiber optics, it has the ability to grow when technology improves and becomes cheaper to implement.

If you’re thinking of switching to FiOS Internet service, there are many different plans you can choose from. These include:

A 15 Mbps download speed and 5 Mbps upload speed package, currently at just under $50

A 50/25 Mbps down/up plan for just under $60

75/35 for just under $70

Remember, these are introductory prices that are good for one year, after which they go up by about $20 a month. For those looking for the faster speeds, FiOS Quantum Internet offers the following plans:

150 bps download and 65 Mbps upload for about $130 a month

300/65 for just under $210 a month

500/100 for just under $300 a month

These prices all require a two-year agreement. Additionally, you may also be hit with an activation fee of up to $50, but, if you negotiate right, you can get that waived.

What Current Verison FiOS Customers Are Saying

I asked my Facebook followers and friends what their FiOS experiences were like, and I checked around for reviews on several sites. What I heard was that current customers are quite happy with the service, although early adopters are saying that they have experienced some price increases they weren’t expecting. Yes, they received notification well in advance of the increase on their bill, but they weren’t expecting the amount of the increase they experienced. All in all, Verizon FiOS, especially the Internet service, is something I can definitely get behind and support.

Mike is a certified low voltage installer with over 10 years of professional experience in the field, much of it working for Cable TV companies. He also has over a decade of experience in the computer field as a network engineer and support specialist. Mike's hobbies include installing high-end audio and video systems.

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